Detection of deep and blind mineral deposits using new proposed frequency coefficients method in frequency domain of geochemical data

• New exploratory information can be obtained from frequency domain of geochemical data that are not achievable in spatial domain.
• There is a direct relationship between the depth of deposit and the frequencies of surface geochemical data.
• The deep and blind mineral deposits can be identified using the new frequency coefficients method (FCM).
• The FCM is quite inexpensive and effective pattern recognition approach for decomposing mixed geochemical populations.

The surface geochemical data in spatial domain can be transferred to frequency domain using two-dimensional Fourier transformation. The analysis of surface geochemical data in frequency domain has been led to the exploratory information which may be not achievable in the spatial domain of geochemical data. In this research, the frequency domain of surface geochemical data has been analyzed for recognizing the complex geochemical patterns related to ore deposits. In order to predict the variations of mineralization in the depth and identifying the blind mineral deposits, the developed Frequency Coefficients Method (FCM) has been proposed and applied in hidden Zafarghand Cu–Mo porphyry deposit. This proposed approach has desirably demonstrated the relationship between different frequencies in the surface geochemical distribution map and various depths of deposits. The results, obtained from applying the proposed technique to a real scenario, reveal significant improvements, compared to the results obtained from the spatial domain of geochemical data. The introduced method as a pattern recognition technique makes possible, without exploration drilling, the determination of mineralization trends in depth and the distinction between blind mineralization and dispersed ore mineralization zones.